Short term housing too little, too late

Labour's Associate Housing spokesperson Poto Williams says the Government's short term housing announcement for Canterbury is a case of too little, too late.

"At least it amounts to an acknowledgement by the Government that there is a housing crisis caused by the snails' pace of the residential rebuild. But housing for 30 families falls woefully short of the need for short term emergency housing.

“Four years after the last earthquake Canterbury is still in the grip of a housing crisis, with rents up 47 per cent, up to 7400 estimated to be homeless or living in sub-standard housing, and a shortfall of 12,000 houses, according to latest figures released by the MBIE.

"The Government should have delivered short term housing for hundreds of people not 30, and they should have done it three years ago.

"Supported emergency housing is a much needed ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. The root of the problem is National's failure to get the residential rebuild happening faster and sooner, leaving Cantabrians to pay the price in astronomical rents, sharply rising house prices, and far too many people living in substandard conditions,” Poto Williams says.